I am super excited to finally be the owner of a 2006 F4 1000s Flat Black. Coming from the Jap bike world, I sold my 2006 GSXR 1000 for my dream bike. This post is not scientific (obviously), nor am I an expert of any kind. I've been riding for 6 years and do track days.
It is simply my initial impressions and opinion after riding the F4 for one week everyday vs the GSXR 1000.

DESIGN
The design of the F4 bike is striking, never have I seen such a beautiful looking bike. Photos do not do it justice. It's a thousands times better than the GSXR.

COMFORT
The GSXR was much more comfortable. The seating position on the F4 is very aggressive and will take some time getting used to. I do believe it is a better position due to the fact that i can feel air traveling through my helmet where as on the GSXR I would have to be in full tuck to get air flow.

REAR SETS
The rear sets on the F4 suck. They are too small, do not provide enough grip, the adjustments are barely useful, and tend to transfer the heat from the bike. The GSXR rear sets are much much better. I never had issues with them. I will be replacing the F4's rear sets soon.

POWER
The power on the F4 is awesome. It delivers the power very smooth. So smooth that you don't realize it which can get you trouble sometimes. LOL! The power delivery on the GSXR was just brute force, lots of fun, consistent power across the power band at any time. The F4 feels like it has a bit more power. I would not say one is better that the other, it would be a matter of preference but I am really liking the F4's power delivery over the GSXR.

THROTTLE
I would have to go with the GSXR on this one. The throttle on the F4 is
very jerky. It does not like to go slow. LOL! First gear takes some serious getting used to when traveling through local traffic. At the moment there are times where its better just to go into second gear to keep the F4 calm. This thing just likes to go fast! highway speeds is where this thing loves to be and it shows.

HANDLING
Damn!!!! The F4 is simply amazing! The GSXR does not come close to the handling capability of the F4. It feels light like a 600cc and handles like a 600cc but with all the power of a 1000cc. I cannot say enough of how much the handling impressed me.

FIT and FINISH
This one is a little weird for me. In many cases the fit and finish on the F4 impressed me in other areas it left me puzzled. For example the attention to detail was outstanding on the F4, the way the wires were hidden, the routing of cables, screws, removal of the fairings, it feels like a high end product. However, the instrument cluster feels a little cheap, the lighting also felt like a second grade product. Light leaks from the headlight and the turn signals, in sunlight the instrument cluster lights were just visible enough. Overall though the F4 is certainly way above the GSXR.

HEAT DISSIPATION
I have to give this one to the GSXR easily. The F4 just gets seriously HOT! I've never had any heat issues with any of the bikes I've owned but this F4 is a pain in the ass with the heat. I've been on the forums searching for the heat issue and CAG has been an amazing help in pointing in the right direction but I just can't get the F4 to stay cool.
I've flush the cooling system, added engine ice, the fan blades are the aluminum not the plastic ones, I've done the fan mod switch and it still
over heats. I have to keep working on it.

VIBRATIONS
Why does the F4 have so much handlebar vibration? It is to the point where I am not comfortable pushing the bike above 10K RPMS because it is too much. This has a direct effect on confidence on the bike, it feels unstable (even though it is not). The GSXR was solid and never felt unstable and no vibrations either.

Those are my initial thoughts on the F4. I need to tweak it to get all the kinks out but LOVE this bike and do not regret giving up my GSXR 1000. I still have a GSXR 600, best of both worlds.

Anyway, I thank all that actually took the time to read this long post.
I would greatly welcome any comments and feedback.

I've never ridden a GSXR1000 or any GSXR for that matter, in fact, I don't think I've even looked at one all that closely - so I agree with everything you posted.

On a serious note, I've spent a lot of time tweaking mine to get it exactly as I want it (including cooling issues) & it brings me a great deal of joy both riding & tweaking/solving problems. I wouldn't swap for ANY contemporary non MV Agusta.

I guess it comes down to what you want from a bike and what brings you joy. You said you 'LOVE' this bike, that's a pretty good place to spring from.

That sounds like a pretty accurate comparison. I've owned three GSX-Rs (although none of them were an '06). While they were all nice, fun, fast bikes, they can't compare to the F4 in terms of style, sound, exclusivity, and general "coolness".

I agree about the F4 riding position. The back of my neck was actually sore after I rode my F4 the first several times, from having my head crooked back so I could see out of the helmet. But I got used to it and now I love it. Every other bike now seems too "upright"!

While I absolutely detest Gixxers with a passion, what you find in your comparo is pretty correct to me, apart from the vibration.... the 1000S is smooth to me, maybe a bit harsher than the gixxer but not to the point of 'no fun over 10000rpm' ...your bike may have a small issue for you to sort. All the best with your new bike mate

Is the vibration high in amplitude or is it just that you are feeling more being transmitted through the hands "like the neck of a bat when you hit short?" If its the latter then get some weighted bar ends, that helped with mine. Otherwise don't notice any vibrations, it was just that what is there I could feel through my hands considerably more.

Heat wise, yeah, she doesn't like being stuck in traffic. I'm doing some upgrades just to make it more stable (mine is only a 750 so its not as prone to boiling over) for longer wear more than anything.

Is the vibration high in amplitude or is it just that you are feeling more being transmitted through the hands "like the neck of a bat when you hit short?" If its the latter then get some weighted bar ends, that helped with mine. Otherwise don't notice any vibrations, it was just that what is there I could feel through my hands considerably more.

Yes, the vibration is at the handle bars (at least thats what it feels like), as I approach 10K I feel them to the point where I do not feel safe pushing the bike further. What bar ends do you recommend? I would like some really good ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lee

Run the fans below 40 mph ALL the time. What I did and it makes a huge difference. Alot easier to prevent the heat than try to get rid of it.

Would running them all the time burn out the fan motors? Is it safe to run them like that?

Fan motors are cheap, much cheaper than anything else youd have to replace due to an overheat. Being said you can get a more powerful pump and such to help with the "spike" when coming to a stop after hard riding.

Being said, nothing about my bike makes me think at 10k I wouldnt want to push it further. If anything the engine seems smoother the faster it goes (probably because the frequency is so high that you cant get any resonance). Where are you again? Maybe you could arrange a meet up with a fellow owner to compare.

i sold my k6 to get the 1078 and indeed this is a fair comparison. Although I am not sure about the power. I think the gixxer has more than the old mvs.

Vibration. Had the same issue. Remove the front nose and put some duct tape on the bottom side - left and right of the headlamp. Its probably the front fairing vibrating. I did on mine and most of the vibration is gone. Oh i can see whats in the mirrors as well now..